Alvin “The Doctor” Robinzine

Alvin “The Doctor” Robinzine (“Doc”) was known for his white cap and unique pitching style which consisted of various fakes used to keep the batters off balance. Some say he threw a high pitch, but what he actually pitched is called the Hump. Doc was named “The Doctor” by his teammates who admired how he operated on the pitcher’s mound. Doc’s pitching style frustrated many teams. Opponents would frequently complain to umpires asking … “how many fakes can he make?” and whether he could wear wristbands and tape while pitching. Due to Doc’s pitching style, some leagues even adjusted their pitching rules. Not only was Doc’s success attributed to his unique pitching style, but Doc was a versatile player who could play every position. Doc was feared for his pitching, defense, and clutch hitting. Doc has played on league championship teams spanning over five decades: 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 2000’s, and 2010’s.
Doc began his major league softball career in 1974 playing for the Kings on the South side of Chicago at Bensley Park. In 1979, while playing with the World Famous Flamingos, Doc pitched a no-hitter. Doc also played seven positions: left, center, and right fields; shortstop; second base; pitcher; and catcher, helping the Flamingos to win the 1979 Chicagoland World Series of Softball, which was held at Lou Boudreau Stadium in Harvey IL. The Flamingos defeated the Whips 10-8 for the title.
In 1983, while a member of the World Famous Flamingos, Doc compiled a perfect 21-0 pitching record. Doc’s performance aided the Flamingos in winning the Best West Championship, along with titles at Avalon Park, Dawes Park, Rosenblum Park, and the Chicago Metro.
In 1984, while playing on the Flamingos team that included Hall of Famers Billy “Sweet” Johnson, Steve Kirby, Sammy Taylor, Dennis “Punchy” Wallace, and Percy “Bobo” Coleman, Doc was named the Winston Major Sports League Most Valuable Player.
In 1986, while playing with the Gamblers team, Doc pitched and helped the Gamblers win nine straight games, including six in one day. With two outs in the bottom of the tenth inning, Doc delivered the game-winning hit to capture the 1986 Heritage Cup Classic, which was played at the Lou Boudreau Stadium.
Doc was a valuable contributor for the Hall of Fame Senators team. Under the guidance of Hall of Fame Manager Floyd Glover, Doc helped the Senators win championships in various leagues and tournaments, including the Cocktail League and Washington Park.
Doc is known as a legend in the Allstate Softball League, which is played in North Brook, IL at Winkleman Park. Over the years, Doc has led his team to fourteen league titles.
Doc has played in leagues at Avalon Park, Blue Island, Dawes Park, Hamilton Park, Mount Prospect, Franklin Park, Tuley Park, Ogden Park, Washington Park, Grant Park, Columbus Park, Garfield Park and Clyde Park. In addition, Doc played in the Best West League, the Cocktail League, and the Rosenblum Park 75th & Jeffrey League. Doc has been an all-star player and on championship teams in almost every league he has played in.
Doc has played with some of the greatest softball teams of his time, including two Hall of Fame teams: The Senators and The World Famous Flamingos. Other top teams that Doc also played with were The Gamblers, The Gambling Flashes, and The Kings.
Doc has been fortunate to have played with and against some of the all-time greats. Doc’s teammates consisted of some of the best players to ever play 16-inch softball … Hall of Famers: Billy “Sweet” Johnson, Hank Kemp, “Wicked Willie Pool” Kemp, Dennis “Punchy” Wallace, Sammy Taylor, Rick “Monday” Ligon, Steve Kirby, Jesse Mack, Larry “La La” Washington, Drake Jones, Lee “Donny” Gardner, Henry “Hawk “ Curry and Percy ”Bobo” Coleman.
The Doctor also had the honor to play for Hall of Fame managers Floyd Glover, Lee “Donny” Gardner and Dan Dumas.
Married since 1981, Alvin and his wife Verna Robinzine currently live in Hazel Crest, IL, where they raised their son, Ronnell Robinzine, and their daughter, Chanelle Robinzine. Doc is honored to be recognized for his softball achievements and earning the distinguished honor of being inducted into the Chicago 16 Inch Softball Hall of Fame.

Ray’s / Honored 2000 Team Recognition

Ray’s

Ray Linz Sr., owner of Ray's Tavern in Calumet City, IL was the proud sponsor of RAY'S Women's 16" Softball Team from 1972-1980.
The team was formed in 1972 from a recreational group of women's power volleyball players. Although the members came from various teams, they shared a common bond -- a competitive nature. Of the original RAY'S team members, only three had any organized softball experience and none of them had ever played 16" softball because it was not offered for women yet. They ranged in age from the mid 20's to the early 40's. They diligently practiced as to develop a competitive skill set and eventually evolve into the first powerhouse team in women's 16" softball in the south suburbs. They credit a lot of their success to the fine coaching staff which consisted of: Jon Hanford, Vito Perniciaro, Vic Bruegmann, batboys Kevin Poczes and Ricky Booth and the huge support of sponsor Ray Linz Sr.
Over the eight years that RAY'S competed, there were several undefeated seasons, numerous championships and many of the players went on to play for other very successful teams.
As a result of their tenacious attitude, RAY'S proudly attribute their success to TEAMWORK -- which was adopted as their team motto. With the pride of winning and success came a reputation for excellence that has never been surpassed. RAY'S Women's Softball will forever represent what can be accomplished through commitment, hard work and the vision shared by each woman whose name appears below.
We are grateful to the Chicago 16" Hall of Fame for this great honor!
Connie Coster-Bruegmann*, Dorothy Watroba, Rene Sterbenc, Diane Poczos, Nora Hanford, Jeanette Hektoen, Cindy Freeman, Thelma Chumbley, Joy Bonic Burgess, Kathy Marcinkevich, Cheryl Broholm, Liz Danielewski, Maria Smierciak, Dee Hancock*, Sherry Vidal, Cheryl Foy, Connie Froida, Sharon Ridgley, Dorothy Horton, Trudy Patterson, Chris Ciechna, Barbara Boersma, Sandy Bolda, Sharon Enright, Barbara Gilson, Sue Kroll, Gayle Pfeiffer, Joanne Rehn, Marcia Schiller, Lisa Root, Cheri Guiterrez, Gail Livingston*, Colleen Schutz, Margaret Hardy, Lynne Robinson, Sharon Zatarga, Barb Banske, Jane Fredianelli, Judy Mathys, Peggy Rossi, Jeanie Bonin, Nancy Schutz

Randy Russ / Inducted 2017

Randy Russ

Randy Russ started his sixteen-inch softball career in the late 1980s playing neighborhood ball with the Levee and the Jackmen. Besides sixteen-inch softball, Randy also excelled at baseball. He played at Lewis University from 1987 – 1990. The team competed in the Division II College World Series from 1988 to 1990. They finished third in 1998, fifth in 1989, and third again in 1990. In 1990 he was named Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year. That same year, he was named Division II First Team All American shortstop, an honor given to the best Division II shortstop in the country.
In 1990, following his baseball career, he started playing with the Lightning and the Stooges, a partnership that led to twenty-five plus years playing major softball. Randy played for Ice, Laborers, Splinters, Prime Time, Lettuce, Licorice, Maxim, and Flashback – all elite teams in sixteen-inch softball.
Randy has won eight ASA and SSA National Championships and seven Forest Park No-Glove Nationals. He has been named tournament MVP numerous times. He has been selected as a First Team All-American in all three outfield positions. In 2013, the ASA named him to their Top Twenty-two Players of the Past Fifty Years list. He was selected to the First Team All-Time Mt. Prospect Team. Many players consider him to be the best two-way outfielder to ever play the game.
Randy has been coached by Hall of Fame legends Warren Johnson, Willie Simpson, Wally Filkens, Ron Kubicki, Rich Melman, and Randy’s father, Bob Russ, Sr. One of Randy’s favorite sayings was “it’s not about the championship you win; it’s about who you win them with.
Randy and his wife, Kelly (a softball player herself), have three children – Randy, Jr., Ricky, and Lexi. They live in the Edison Park neighborhood of Chicago. At forty-eight years old, Randy coaches his sons’ travel baseball teams and enjoys watching them play basketball and football. He also enjoys watching his daughter play softball, basketball, soccer, and compete in gymnastics.

Rebels / Honored 2017 Team Recognition

Rebels

In 1987, John Pellegrino organized the Hickory Hills Rebels after growing up watching sixteen - inch softball games at the local park. The players were friends from the neighborhood looking for a competitive outlet and took their name from a childhood football league.
The Rebels built momentum and skill, leading up to their first big tournament win, the 1993 USSSA “A” State Championship in Orland Park. The next year, they were victors of the 1994 ASA “A” Nationals in Blue Island. In the summer of 1998, the Rebels won the Grant Park Chicago Classic “A” Tournament, a particularly proud moment playing with no gloves (preferred Rebel style). This was followed up with a win at the 1999 ASA “A” State Tournament in Mount Prospect. The last big tournament the Rebels claimed triumph was the 2001 ASA “A” Nationals in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
Over the years, the Rebels sought out competitive leagues. They started in Hickory Hills, and then later played in Lagrange Park, Clyde Park, Worth Park, Blue Island, Alsip, and the Pro League. The Rebels had signature wins over Lettuce and Flash in the Pro League, Stickmen at No Glove Nationals in Forest Park, and Graphic Edge (Iowa) in a Mount Prospect tournament. Twice the team finished in the final six at No Glove Nationals. The Rebels were battle-ready in all the big summer tournaments, preventing an easy victory for their opponents.
Rebels roster stalwarts include players Sam Alberto, Ed Chibe, Bryan Fry, John Jerbich, Bill Kenney, Mike Kozak, Thomas “TK” Kulawiak, Darren Neputy, Tom Neputy, Andy O’Neill, John Pellegrino, Bryan Smith, Fred Sterling, and Mike Trudeau. All who have worn a Rebels jersey supported the team’s success and endurance. Many Rebels continue playing thirty years later, though with more knee braces and gray hair.

Rick Rostan / Inducted 2017

Rick Rostan

Rick Rostan’s passion for sixteen-inch softball began while watching his brother Steve and friends Bobby Grippo, Roger Ciska, The Donofrio Brothers (Ricky and Joey), Mike Tomasetti, Sal Oliver (HOF) and Charlie” Missy” Miceli (HOF) play at Amundsen Park and Kells Park as the Original Stompers. He started playing in leagues at thirteen for a grammar school CYO team out of Amundsen Park. They won the city championship. From there he played with his friends in leagues at Amundsen Park, Sayre Park and Riis Park. He joined the Six Pack shortly after, playing at Portage Park, LaFollette Park, and Melrose Park. They had a nice team with Larry, Joey, Steve, Kenny, Biggs, Z, Paulie, Danny, Charlie, Stevie and Birdie.
At seventeen, Sal Oliver (HOF) coach of the Stompers (a recognized HOF team and a top-ten team at the time), recruited Rick to play first base. At an early age, Rick was known as a tough defender and a pretty good hitter who could take the ball deep and hit to all fields. During his sixteen-year career with the Stompers, he played at Kelly Park, Clarendon Park, Blue Island and Mt Prospect. He played on the 1980 championship team that won the Forest Park Tournament. He played in six ASA Nationals and three USSA Nationals. They won the title in 1985 and Rick was named to the all-tournament team that year. He also played with the Bobcats in the ASA Nationals in Aberdeen, South Dakota. He played in all major tournaments in the Chicago Area during the late seventies and eighties. Rick had great teammates in Mike Oliver “Ollie”, Mike Romanelli, Chickie Vella, Greg Noscek, Johnny Z, Mike Krolicki (HOF), Jeff Hornacek, Paulie Sitkowski, Mike Tallo (HOF), Gary, Joe Moms, Frank Lentine (HOF), Frank Lamase, Ralphie Massuci, Jim Georgellis, Tommy Kelleher (HOF) and Roy Cotterman to name a few. The Stompers won the 1985 USSSA Nationals. They also combined teams a few times with the Bobcats and Sobies. They won the Racine, WI tournament with a combined team that include Bill Massuci (HOF), Bill Bereckis (HOF) and Mike Mareno (HOF). Rick stopped playing competitively in his mid-thirties, way too soon.
Rick graduated from Dana College in Blair Nebraska. He was a tight end and captain on the football team and also played first base on the baseball team. He earned all-conference and All-Lutheran honors in football his junior and senior years. He received letters from the Cincinnati Bengals during his junior and senior years. The Bengals tested him both years, but he was not invited to their camp. He was also an all conference player in baseball his junior and senior years. After college, while still playing softball, he played tight end for the Lincolnwood Chargers. He spent his weekends running from softball tournaments to football games.
The best thing about college is Rick met Peggy, his wife of thirty-six years. They have three great daughters, Amanda, Lindsey and Kathryn and two sons-in-laws Kurt and Alex with a third son-law, AJ, due to become a part of their family in May. Rick’s grandson Hudson is a sixteen-inch softball player in the making. Rick is currently the President of Geographies and Operations for Expeditors International of Washington.
He thanks his brother Steve and Sal Oliver for getting him involved in softball.

Larry Randa / Inducted 2011 Media & Organizers

Larry Randa

Larry Randa played a big role in the golden era of suburban newspapers and in a "golden era" of suburban sixteen-inch softball. Now the Community Relations Director for Valley View Community Unit District 365U in Bolingbrook and Romeoville, Randa is a former senior executive for LIFE Newspapers, a family-owned media group that published multiweeklies in more than twenty West and Southwest suburban communities. In 1982, while Managing Editor of the La Grange Park-based Suburban LIFE Citizen, he and park district directors from La Grange and Hodgkins launched what was to be known as The LIFE Area Classic. Randa, who played sixteen-inch softball for fifteen years in Western Springs and was the President of the Western Springs Community Softball League and also played in Riverside for several years, made sure the newspaper provided outstanding coverage of every single game played in that first double elimination "Tri Towns Classic." The tournament matched three teams from La Grange and Hodgkins and two teams from Western Springs. A year later that coverage expanded as The Tri Towns Classic became The LIFE Area Classic and teams from Pleasantdale were added. By 1985, The LIFE Area Classic featured thirty-two teams from sixteen towns from Cicero on the east to Downers Grove on the west. For the next five years, opening weekend showcased all thirty-two teams on fields in La Grange and Downers Grove with the championship game in North Riverside, often before a crowd of several hundred people. The last several LIFE Classics were among the first local sporting events to be taped and re-broadcast on cable TV. The list of great softball players who played in The LIFE Area Classic is extensive. And the coverage LIFE Newspapers provided was extensive as well. Larry and his wife, Debbie, live in Burr Ridge, Illinois. They have two children – Jennifer Reyes and Jill Tester and one grandson, Jacob Reyes.

Bob Rascia / Inducted 2007 Umpires & Managers

Bob Rascia

Bob grew up in the Galewood neighborhood at North Avenue and Harlem. He attended Holy Cross High School where he earned varsity letters in football, baseball, and track. He is a member of the Holy Cross Hall of Fame for football and track. He also played hockey with the Oak Park Park District at Ridgewood Commons. Bob’s longtime friend, Nick Sposato, helped him start his legendary softball career in grammar school when he and some little league friends formed an under-eighteen team at Sayre Park in 1974. They modeled their team after Lenny Nuzzo’s High Times team. His knack at winning championships started early in his career when his teams won league titles at Merrimac, Sayre, Shabonna, and Franklin Parks from 1976 to 1985. He also honed his skills by playing at Clarendon Park, skills that would later carry him and his teams to a record number of victories and national titles. Besides playing and managing the 45s, he also played for Lightning, the Jets, and O’Briens. He played primarily left and right field and was known as a line drive, doubles hitter who hit in the first through fifth spot. In 1988 he took over as manager of the 45s in the Classic League and managed them every year until his retirement at the end of the 2007 season. At first the team struggled to compete at the major level. In 1992 the fortune of the 45s changed with the acquisition of former Touch star, Tim Flanagan and his brother John Flanagan, a star baseball player at Notre Dame. Hall of Fame players Mike Stout and Mike Caputo along with Kurt and Eric Kiesel, Larry Downes, and Tony Portincaso joined the 45s in 1993. From 1993 to ‘97 the Bud 45s won their first national tournaments and became a consistent competitor in the upper division of the Classic League. In 1998 the team took a major step forward when Hall of Famers Frank Mustari, Pat Heraty, Tom Czarnik, Mark Frighetto, Paul Brezinski, and Curt Uidl joined the team. This coup was made possible by Rick “The Franchise” Gancarz. With the help of these very talented players the 45’s won their first of six ASA Major National Titles. In 2003 the dynasty was complete when Jeff Berger, Jim Matlock, and Hall of Famer Ron Kubicki joined the 45s. Additionally, Israel Sanchez, Mark Holstein, Brian Miller, Rich Villa, Jim Dooley, Anthony Avila, Keith Filkins (HOF), John Wolnick, Dave Singer, Fred Grief, Chris Downes, Len Nuzzo, and Marty Dosen were responsible for 468 wins against only 52 loses from 2003 to 2007. During the years that Bob managed the 45s, they won forty-six tournaments, including five straight ASA National titles. In 1996 they won their first Forest Park Invitational championship and took their first ASA title in2001. In 2001 the team was down 14-0 in the first inning but went on to defeat Traffic 18-16 in a game that lasted three and a half hours. In 2005 the 45s posted a record of 86 wins against 6 losses. He proudly managed them to an ASA tournament record of 44-3 from 2001 to 2007. Over the 27- year history of the Classic League, Bob Rascia holds the following records as a manager: 331 wins, seven championships, 26 wins in a single season, two seasons of 22 wins, the highest winning percentage of .958 and most games managed at 472. Bob and his wife, Melissa, live in Park Ridge, Illinois. They have three children. He is a criminal defense attorney.

John Ratkovic / Inducted 2001 Media & Organizers

John Ratkovic

Jack Ratkovic’s career as a coach and organizer began when he became a lifeguard at Armour Square Park in Bridgeport, teaching countless numbers of men, women and children the joys of swimming. He is also remembered for performing a dramatic high dive into a burning pool of water. He worked in the athletic department of the Catholic Youth Organization, coached a women’s softball team in the early days of women’s athletics, refereed basketball games in industrial leagues, and played a major role in organizing Little and Pony Leagues at Marquette Park. He even managed a semi-pro basketball team for the Ford Motor Company during World War II. From the late ‘60s to 1980, Jack Ratkovic was the supervisor at Kelly Park. While at Kelly, he supervised all the after school activities there, and at Kelly High School for twelve years. Ratkovic believed that playing sports was a way to help troubled young people stay off the streets, and he is credited with turning more than a few troubled lives around. He was also instrumental in getting lights installed at Kelly Park for the men’s softball league, one of the very best in Chicago at that time. After twenty years with the Park District, Jack retired to Padre Island, Texas. Retirement, however, did not stop his organizing activities. He helped establish the Texas Silver Hair Legislature, a governmental body dedicated to issues important to senior citizens. He was a guiding force in lowering insurance premiums for persons living along the Texas coast. His efforts paid off when he was elected to three consecutive terms in the Texas State Legislature. When Jack Ratkovic passed away on February 7, 1995, the Texas legislature adjourned at noon, and the flag over the Texas State Capitol flew at half staff in his honor.

Raymond “Ray-Ray” Ray / Inducted 2011 1950-1963 Era

Raymond “Ray-Ray” Ray

Born in 1937, Raymond Ray grew up on the South side of Chicago at 41st and Dearborn. He was blessed to have a two-parent household with three brothers and three sisters. The neighborhood boys always had a sports hero to look up to and because Raymond was a baseball fanatic, he chose Jackie Robinson. He remembers a quote from Robinson's autobiography, "I Never Had It Made," that said, "I never cared about acceptance as much as I cared about respect." He loved this quote because Raymond was small but was blessed with quick hands and reflexes. Growing up in that neighborhood, (which included 39th Street), young men aspired to play for the Ironmen. Ray became an Ironman and played shortstop with them for the remainder of his twenty-five-plus year softball career. He carries a lifetime batting average over .660, hit more than 110 homeruns, and drove in more than 1000 runners. He won tournament honors in the Southside Cocktail League in 1966 and in the league at 49th and Dorchester from 1967 to 1971. A thirty-two year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, he played shortstop for the 21st District, the 1st District, and the Gang Intelligence Unit softball teams. He retired from softball after a knee replacement, several dislocated fingers, falling arches, and many other ailments. Despite the injuries, he would not have changed a thing because of all the friendships, the fun, and the comradeship he experienced playing softball. Raymond and his wife of fifty-one years, Jametta, live on Chicago's South side. They have two children – David and Pamela, three grandchildren, one greatgrandchild, and two grand dogs.

Dolly Reardon / Inducted 2006 Women

Dolly Reardon

Dolly Reardon’s softball career began when she was six playing with the Swirls and Curls in a twelve inch league. It was here that she cemented shortstop as her position. She continued playing in the Evergreen Park Kroury League until she entered high school. She attended Mother McAuley High School from 1967 to 1971 where she played volleyball and basketball for four years. She didn’t play softball because the sport hadn’t hit McAuley yet. After high school she attended Quincy University where she played field hockey, volleyball, basketball and softball for four years, serving as captain on many of these teams. Her number was retired her senior year because of all of the records she set. In fact, she still holds the batting average record to this day. She was inducted into the Quincy Hall of Fame five years after she graduated. With a degree in physical education form Quincy, she began teaching physical education at Queen of Peace, coaching teaching and eventually assuming the job of athletic director. During her twenty-three year career at Queen of Peace, she created a well-known sports program for female athletes. After Queen of Peace, Dolly moved to a junior high school where she continues to teach and coach. Her 16" softball career began in 1976 when she joined the Ringers, a team with a reputation for winning league titles and tournaments. In 1979 she moved to the Burr Oak Angels, coached by the legendary Bill Broukal. She played with them for ten years, serving as captain for nine of those years. The legendary Angels won so many league and tournament championships that it is nearly impossible to mention them all. They were inducted into the 16" Hall of Fame in 2002. As an Angel and as one of the best shortstops of her day with a .600-plus career batting average, Dolly was selected to seven all-tournament teams, won two golden glove awards (1983 and ‘84 USSSA), and was voted most valuable player four times. Her softball career slowed down from 1992 to 2002 when she played only one night a week with the Diamond Girls. When softball slowed down, she focused more on her bowling career. For the past twenty years she has averaged over two hundred. She has won six team titles, seven doubles titles, three single titles and two all event titles. In 1996 she was inducted into the city and state bowling hall of fames. Dolly Reardon lives in Chicago Ridge.

Team Rebels / Honored 2006 Team Recognition

Team Rebels

The Rebels emerged as one of the most competitive women’s teams of the late 1970s and early '80s, playing in park district leagues as well as countless tournaments on Chicago’s North and South Sides. One of the most memorable moments in team history occurred in the Women’s National Softball Tournament in 1977. When the tournament began, Manager Ron Hill and Coach Stan Powenski knew they were at the helm of a team comprised of young, talented and athletic rookies and a few seasoned veterans. After losing their first game, the Rebels fought their way up through the loser’s brackets to take on the mighty Rose N Crown. They used a powerful offense and skillful defense to beat them twice to capture the national championship. This championship served as a springboard for many of the players who went on to become some of the best 16" inch softball players of their day.

Hurter “Red” Redmond / Inducted 1996 Pioneers 1887-1949

Hurter “Red” Redmond

The "Babe Ruth" of the sport and a big gate attraction, the big right handed firefighter was the most prolific homerun hitter of the Windy City League during the 40s. His MVP season was in '4 when he lead the league in hits, avg. and 31 HRs. . leading Mid.: Motors to their first of two Windy City titles. Also a member of the Witt Hanley Yankee championship teams. He was so good the St. Pat's High School star was an original member of the Chicago American Hall of Fame created in '62. Perennial all star in the WCL. Famous cover photo for the '48 Championship program held at Comiskey included Red and DiMaggio shaking hands. Deceased.

John Reglein / Inducted 2014 Frank C. Holan Award

John Reglein

There aren’t many sixteen-inch
softball people who use the word
passion to describe all aspects of
the game, but John Reglein is one
of those. John embodies the role of
team sponsor, manager, player, friend,
and successful business owner. His
softball successes have come mainly
from Iowa, but his business, The
Graphic Edge is a nationwide success.
Founded some twenty-five years ago
with two part-time employees, The Graphic Edge had grown to over two hundred employees today.
John was the first person in Iowa to build and manage sixteen-inch softball teams (like Red Carpet, Checkers, Farner-Bocken, and Kraus Chiropractic) that featured the best players from all over Iowa. Once he became the sole team sponsor and manager, he used his company’s name, The Graphic Edge. John put together teams that featured high quality players who were also high quality people. And by including the families of players in all aspects of the team, he made it easier for players to commit to the rigorous softball schedule.

As a manager, John’s team won nine District Substate championships (equivalent to Metro tournaments in Chicago). They won nine State Major Open championships, had three
top five finishes in ASA National tournaments, and won more than 1500 games. In 2002, John was inducted into the Iowa Sixteen-inch Hall of Fame as a manager and a sponsor.
John would often bring his teams to Chicago to allow them to experience better competition. They played in the Splinters Tournaments, at the Mt. Prospect Classic, and in the Forest Park No Gloves Nationals. If his team didn’t come to Mt. Prospect, John made it a point to take in the tournament.
John and his wife, Donna, live in Carroll, Iowa. A typical day inside his business usually includes one or more of his grandchildren by his side.

Tony Reibel / Inducted 1996 Umpires & Managers

Tony Reibel

Born in 1933, Tony Reibel's active playing career began in 1952 with Tom Green’s Baseball Inn and Kool Vent Awning at Kells Field (Chicago & Kedzie) in 1955-56 and with the Kenneth Allen team. He batted right-handed and threw right-handed. He was one of the top short centers in the game during the 60s and 70s. His list of accomplishments as an individual player merits recognition for the Hall of Fame alone, but he is best remembered for leading one of the top teams of the 60s & 70s in American Rivet Sobies to over 700 wins over a decade. They were one of the most dominant teams in the game from ‘66 to ‘72. The Sobies won three consecutive ASA National Championships (‘66, ‘67, ‘68). They won over 100 games in both ‘71 and’72 in possibly their finest years, winning every title except the ASA Nationals. The Sobies impressively won the first World Series of Softball in 1974 at Hart Stadium in Blue Island. They also won three Forest Park titles and five Andy Frain Tournament titles. The Sobies' battles with Eddie Zolna’s Bobcats were legendary and in 1971 the player everyone wanted to watch was the ASA All-American short center. He consistently batted over .500 with power in the cleanup spot. In 1970 he hit .548; 1971 - .560; and 1973 - .503. Tony was so respected as a player, manager, and administrator that he was unanimously elected as the first commissioner of the rebirth of the Windy City League in Bridgeview 1976 -77. Tony was responsible for changing an important rule which is unique to Chicago softball- “the foul third strike rule.” At Clarendon Park in the ‘60s, Tony was known to foul off dozens of pitches in an effort to stall the game, while his team waited for a tardy player because Tony was simply trying to get the pitcher to make a better pitch to hit. Clarendon Park supervisor, George Morse, implemented “foul third strike” rule to speed up the game. Reibel graduated from Lane Tech H. S. on the Northside. He was also asked to help softball and was the first white player to play in a Negro league with Sweetwater Clifton on the Capitol Records team Daddie 0 - Daylie League. He is also a co-founder of the Chicago 16” Softball Hall of Fame. He thanks his wife Marilynn, 5 children and his grandchildren for putting up with his pastime.

Ben Reilly / Inducted 2008 1980's & 1990's Era

Ben Reilly

Ben Reilly’s softball career began in 1948 when he was invited to join the Westfield Legion Post team for games at Murray Playground at 73rd and Wood Streets. He played mostly outfield positions but also spent some time playing infield. As a left-handed hitter who threw with his right-hand, he remembers many great moments of neighborhood pride when Westfield beat many teams from surrounding neighborhoods in league competition and in money games. Because of his time with Westfield, he expanded his playing opportunities when he joined teams at St. Sabina and Little Flower in the parish leagues. In the early 1950s he left Westfield to play left field for Bonnetti’s out of Ogden Park. Unfortunately, he missed playing most of that summer because of his work schedule. The next season he was back playing when Bob Wilson, the player/manager of the Crusaders recruited him to play for them. They played their games at 31st and Hoyne and at Byrne Field at 59th and Damen. Like many great players who loved the game, he and his teammates played “eight days a week” in league and money games. In the early ‘60s he joined Ready Paving and Brennan’s Tap, playing in leagues in the 19th Ward and Ridge Park. These teams were competitive in both leagues and won a few championships. But Ben mostly remembers that the softball played on the Southside during those years was the best that it could be. He played mainly left and center fields where his outstanding speed gave him an edge in tracking down long fly balls. He batted at the top of the lineup but spent most of his career as a number three hitter. He gave up the game when he was thirty-nine years old because of a growing family and other compelling issues. He will always remember the great memories and friendships he made during his twenty-one years of playing Chicago’s great game. Ben is a graduate of St. Rita High School where he played basketball and of Chicago Teachers College South (now Chicago State) where he also played basketball. Upon graduation from college, he became varsity basketball coach at Mendel Catholic High School in 1954 until 1959. He returned in 1961 as a teacher and athletic director for the next seven years. During this time he started what would become a twenty-five year career officiating basketball with fifteen of them as a Big Ten official. He concluded his professional career with a title company for twenty years in sales and public relations. Ben and his wife, Wilma, have four sons (Gregory, Terry, Rich, Rob), a daughter (Nancy), and two granddaughters. They live on Chicago’s far Southside.

Terry “Riles” Reily / Inducted 2006 Umpires & Managers

Terry “Riles” Reily

A graduate of Mt. Carmel High School where he ran track and was on the swimming and diving team, Terry Reilly’s umpiring career started in typical fashion - officiating little league and pony league games. However, his career didn’t end there. As he became more skilled and known as an umpire, he moved into the world of “major / minor” umpiring when he began working behind the plate in semi-pro baseball games. His 16" softball career started when he was watching a game in Blue Island and realized that he could officiate softball games, and the rest is history. He started out officiating in B and C leagues, but got his big break in 1979 when got a chance to umpire a Major 16" National game in Harvey. That opportunity worked out well and Terry Reilly never looked back during his twenty-three year career. He credits his success in umpiring 16" softball to his years of umpiring semi-pro baseball where he learned to hustle, to follow the ball, and to develop a good demeanor for the game. From 1976 to 1999 as an ASA umpire, he officiated over five thousand games at leagues in Blue Island, Kelly, Harvey and Clyde Parks. From 1982 to 1999 he was ASA umpire-in-chief of Metro Chicago leagues. He umpired at twelve 16"Major League National Tournaments, calling balls and strikes at more than two hundred games. He was deputy umpire-in-chief at five Major Nationals and was umpire-in-chief for two “A” level Nationals. He also officiated at all tournaments, including district competitions, qualifiers, some state tournaments, three Hawthorne Classics, and several Grant Park Tournaments. He retired after thirty-four years with the Chicago Transit Authority where he was the Director of Emergency Services. He has two children, Tina and Kellie, two grandchildren, and a wonderful girlfriend, Brenda Bryan. He lives in Park Forest, Illinois.

Jerry Rhea / Inducted 2007 1980's & 1990's Era

Jerry Rhea

Jerry started playing softball in the seventh grade with Leo Priebe’s after school program. After transferring to St. Benedict’s in the eighth grade, he continued playing softball in school leagues around the North side of Chicago. He graduated form St. Gregory’s (where he played basketball and baseball) and joined the Flying Circus, a team comprised of friends from local high schools. Jerry started out playing shortstop until one of his coaches realized his great speed gave him the ability to chase down fly balls, so he switched to the outfield. During the mid-‘70s, he played with the Hitmen and the Malnati brothers, winning the Paul Revere League and the Sting, taking the titles at Hamlin and Dunham Park Leagues. After graduating from Aurora College where he played baseball, basketball, and soccer, Jerry moved to the softball’s upper echelons when he joined the Playboys. They won the Portage Park title and the Northshore Tournament. In 1984 he had a brief stint with Eye of the Tiger and the Bobcat-Registers, a team combo of Hall of Famers Wally Pecs and Eddie Zolna. He stayed with them through the ‘85 and ‘86 seasons. He also played with the Naturals and Bob “Snake” Jirsa. In 1986 the Jaybirds came calling and Jerry helped them to win a state championship and the 1986 USSSAWorld tile in Muncie, Indiana. In 1987 and 1988 he played for Hall of Fame manager Dick Cooper and Meadows. They won the Mt. Prospect Classic League and were runners-up in a 2-1 game to the Whips in the USSSA finals. In the 1990s he played with the 45s and March Manufacturing (who placed fourth in the ASA Nationals in Kingman, Arizona) before joining Wally Pecs and the Rabbits in 1991. They took second place in the Chicagoland Classic in 1991 and ‘92 and captured the national title at the 1992 USSSAWorld Championships in Sturtevant, Wisconsin. He then moved to Red Dog and helped them to two 16-inch Softball Hall of Fame Tournament titles, the championship at the Maher Tournament, and runner-up in the Chicagoland Classic. After twenty-plus year in the outfield, Jerry switched to second base, prolonging his career a few more years. He played briefly for the Bucketheads, March, Registers, and Off. During his career, Jerry played on teams that finished in the top ten of the ASANationals eleven times, won two USSSA championships (and were runners-up once). He was named to the North Side All-Star Team and was named an All-American. Jerry thanks his wife, Karen, and son, Neil, for their patience and support during his twenty-plus year playing career. He dedicates his induction to his daughter, Kailyn, who passed away earlier this year.

Claude Rhodes / Inducted 1997 Pioneers 1887-1949

Claude Rhodes

Veterans of the many softball wars on the Southside remember Claude Rhodes as a superb player who was also the youngest player on his neighborhood team in the early 1930s. Claude was a top notch short center, also known as the "roving center." During World War II he remained the youngest player because everyone his age went off to fight the war. Claude had a brief period away from the Windy City. Upon his return he began to manage the Safari Tigers. His love of the game and excellent management skills were obvious because the Safari Tigers played in all the major tournaments. They went to the nationals for nine straight years and became the only black team to win the Winners Bracket in 1984 and 1985. They were second place in those years only to the World Champion Whips and Touch. He is still involved with the Clique team. Claude's contributions to the world of 16" softball will be remembered by those persons close to the Southside game.

Team RIC Cubs / Honored 2011 Team Recognition

Team RIC Cubs

In 1981, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) established the Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Sports Program, a community-based adaptive sports program for youth and adults with physical disabilities. Thirty years later, it has become one of the longest running adaptive sports programs in the country offering a wide range of competitive and recreational sports opportunities for people of all ages and ability levels including, wheelchair rugby, basketball road racing and softball, sled hockey, golf, skiing, archery, power soccer, bocce, cycling, and military programming for injured service men and women. The Wirtz Sports Program along with partner program the Helen M. Galvin Health and Fitness Center, experience more than 40,000 program visits annually. With wheelchair softball quickly growing in popularity among athletes, the sport was one of the earliest offered within the RIC Wirtz Sports Program. Playing in parking lots across the region, the newly developed RIC wheelchair softball team found little success playing against the more established teams in the region. But the spirit of the game did not abate. And the in following years, the athletes honed their skills and drew Chicago's most talented players. In 1993, the RIC Rollers became the RIC Cubs when Cubs Care, the charitable arm of the Chicago Cubs baseball organization and part of the McCormick Tribune Foundation, came on board as the first National League organization to sponsor a wheelchair softball team. The team's performance became worthy of National League status when in 2002 the RIC Cubs won their first National Wheelchair Softball Association title and repeated as champs in 2005. The RIC Cubs have had great success in national tournaments: taking third and fourth place twice, and second place four times. In 2000, Major League Baseball (MLB) established the Major League Baseball Tournament in New York City. The annual tournament is popularly referred to as the "World Series" of wheelchair softball and offers the top MLB-affiliated wheelchair softball teams a chance to compete each September in this exclusive 16-INCH tournament sponsored by the New York Mets. The RIC Cubs have proudly won the title eight of the past ten years. And, with nearly thirty years of experience, the RIC Cubs wheelchair softball team continues a tradition of excellence and camaraderie on the field bringing home the MLB "World Series" title again in 2011. RIC Cubs Players Larry Labiak – Catcher Kurt Smith – Right Center Field Paul Moran – Left Fielder Jorge Alfaro – Short Stop Dave Lewis – First Base Alex Parra – Pitcher Dino Ramirez – Right Field Juan Ortiz – Second Base Angelo Cruz – Third Base Curtis Lease – Right Center Field Maurice Reynolds – Rover Dan Palmer – Designated Hitter Ramon Canellada – Infielder Hector Bruno – Infielder Trent Thenhaus – Team Manager Brian O'Dell – Coach Corey Hug – Coach Kelley Hayn –Equipment Manager

Ringers / Honored 2015 Team Recognition

Ringers

Co-Founder: Jim DorganCo-Founder: Emil Smicklas ManagersJim Dorgan (1968-1989) Emil Smicklas (1968- 1986)Paul Rowan (1982-1993) Tim Daniher (1989-1993)
In the summer of 1968, after playing mostly pick-up games on the Southwest Side of Chicago at a local park, Graver Park, Jim Dorgan and Emil Smicklas decided to form a team and challenge different neighborhood teams to a softball game. The name of the team was called G.P.A.A. (Graver Park Athletic Association). GPAA played one game in the summer of 1968 against the Brown’s Bombers from the St. Margaret of Scotland Parish/neighborhood.
The following summer G.P.A.A. played numerous games against teams from Beverly, Morgan Park and other areas on the Southwest Side. These games were met with tremendous enthusiasm and over the winter of 1969/1970 led to the forming of the Graver Park Softball League, which is still is in existence today.
During one meeting prior to the start of the 1971 season, while the rosters were being exchanged, one of the other managers asked Dorgan “what‘s with all the Ringers on the team?” The name stuck and G.P.A.A. became the Ringers in the 1971 season.
The Ringers won the championship of the Graver Park League from 1971 through 1976 and again from 1978 through 1981. In the late ‘70s, and early ‘80s, the Ringers wanted to gauge their talent against better competition by playing in leagues at Ridge Park and Mount Greenwood Park as well as in numerous tournaments. The Ringers success continued at this level, with a continuing winning record each year and numerous championships.
In 1982, Dorgan and Smicklas decided that they wanted more than just to be the best team in the neighborhood. They wanted to take it to the next level and play the best teams in the city, and also compete on a national level. They knew that in order to do that they would need better players than they had on their current roster. The decision was made to approach Pat “Big Red” Kilheeney and Paul Rowan who managed a team called the “Carpetbaggers,” a neighborhood rival who beat the Ringers for the Graver Park championship in 1977. After some discussion, both sets of managers agreed that they were tired of beating up each other and so their goal became to compete citywide and nationally.
And so the Ringers sixteen-inch softball team, comprised of players from three or four local teams, was formed in 1982 on the South Side of Chicago with the goal of competing in local leagues, in city tournaments, and eventually at the national level. Their first year, the Ringers took second place in the Kelly Park “B” League. In 1983, they defeated the heavily favored reigning champs, Tahoe, at the Oak Lawn Metro to qualify for the ASA Nationals, fulfilling their dream of playing in the ASA Nationals sooner than expected.
The Ringers competed in leagues in the ‘80s and ‘90s at Blue Island, the Mount Greenwood “A” League, and at Kelly, Kennedy, Ridge, and Graver Parks. They won several championships and ASA Metros over those years and competed in several more ASA National Tournaments at the Major and “A” levels. In 1985, Tim Daniher threw a perfect game against a strong Stickmen team. They finished tenth in that tournament.
In July of 1985, they won Round Four of the Coors Light Tournament in Blue Island and the following week defeated the Playboys at Kelly Park to win the Chicago Park District title. In 1987, they won the Ninth Annual Bill Bonnette Tournament at Marquette Park.
In the 1990s, Paul Rowan asked Tim Daniher to help him manage the Ringers and the success continued. Besides winning park championships and tournaments under the Ringer name, they also won the Recreational Division of the Sun Times 16-inch Classic as All Mixed Up. They also took ninth place at the 1994 “A” Nationals in Blue Island as This Is It. The last year the Ringers played was 1994, as family and raising children took over as a priority for the majority of the team.
Fellow softball players knew the Ringers for their competitiveness and skill on the field. These efforts were rewarded when several players were named to the Chicago Softball Magazine All Lionhearted Team. Every time they took the field, Ringer players demonstrated what sixteen-inch softball is all about – giving the game everything they had on the field and celebrating with family and friends off the field.
The following people were pieces in the puzzle that lead to this honor by the 16” Softball Hall of Fame. Jim Dorgan, Emil Smicklas, Paul Rowan (HOF), Tim Daniher, Tim Sparrey, Pat Kilheeney, Joe Chancey, Scott Clifford, Larry Carmody, Bob Schaab, Don Antonsen, Kevin Cronin, Pete Kean, Chuck Kreisl, Ted Rauen, Steven Rauen, James McCann, Tom McCann, Mike Carroll, Tom Finnegan, Gerry Klein, Pat Doherty, Jim Barry, David Kelly, Jim Richert, David Richert, John Foran, Barry Quane, Jim Sullivan, Dick Lennon, John Calvano, Dave O’Rourke, Gilly Lindgren, Ed Eber, Sean Dunleavy, Mike Connolly, Mike Lyman, JerryClemens, Tom Naughton, Ron Gardner, Bill Hogan, Mike Mahoney, Bill Andre, Pat Quane, Ed O’Connor, Larry Daly, Tom Schaab, Mark Nielsen, Joe Toner,Tom Murphy, Bob McClelland [HOF], Paul Hermanson, Joe Marassa, Bob Andre, John Buckley, George Oliver, Keith Filkens, Rick Bruesch, Frank Mioni [HOF], Dan Klimpson, Pat Connolly, Randy Filkens [HOF], Casey Janota, John Avants, Matt Biondic [HOF], Steven Biondic, Tom Makowski, Steve Shoper, John Melvin, Bruce Rogers, Mike Rogers, Dave Jorgenson, Bill Dart, Rich Ladewig [HOF], Tim Hooker, Bob Burns, Milo Davis, Mike Britvich, Tim Kelly, Tom Kelly, Art Melvin, James LaPan, George Murphy, Jamie Daw, Bob Choate, Rick Simnick, Greg Galotta

Joseph Rizza

Unlike a lot of bar sponsors, Joe Rizza never sponsored a team expecting them to “pay him back” after the game. This attitude certainly produced a lot of happy wives whose husbands didn�t feel an obligation to stay out late after the game. All Joe Rizza asked was that a player or fan who was interested in buying a car check with him first for the best price. This modest attitude was apparent in his nineteen-year sponsorship of 16-inch softball teams. He started sponsoring the Rizza Rockers in 1986 in the North Riverside Park District League. They took off with a bang that year, winning that league and placing fourth in the “A” Nationals in Indiana. They played in eight straight “A” Nationals before moving up to the Majors in 1994. The Rockers won the Life Newspapers Suburban Tournament in 1993, the last year it was held. They competed in the Forest Park No Glove National Tournament for fourteen straight years, winning it in 1998. Joe Rizza has also sponsored leagues at Clyde Park, Hodgkins, Mt. Prospect, La Grange, and Berwyn and has committed to sponsorship into the 2005 season. Despite the many successes of the Rizza Rockers, Joe Rizza has never asked to keep the trophies from the many championships. Instead, he told player manager, Lane Niemann, to keep them, knowing they were a source of great pride to the players. While Joe Rizza may not have worried about trophies, he did care about the appearance of his teams on the field and spared no expense to make his players look good. While playing in the T.V. league, he never cared if they won or lost. All he cared about was that his players looked good. This attitude holds true to this day. Joe Rizza was born in Chicago on September 20, 1942. He entered the automobile business in 1967 as an owner of Bonnie Brook Ford in Chicago. He now owns Joe Rizza Ford in North Riverside (1978), Rizza Chevrolet (1982), Joe Rizza Ford / Porsche of Orland Park (1988) Joe Rizza Lincoln ,Mercury (1988), Joe Rizza Acura (1998), and Rizza Cadillac / Buick / Hummer in 2000. He is active in his dealerships and serves on many corporate and charity boards. He and his wife, Nives, have been married for over forty years. They are the proud parents of four children.

Team Rizza Rockers / Honored 2008 Team Recognition

Team Rizza Rockers

The Rizza Rockers, a team made up of public service employees from North Riverside and Riverside - Brookfield High School graduates, started playing in 1986 in the North Riverside Fall Ball Rec. League. The next year they struck gold when they won the North Riverside Summer League. With confidence firmly in hand, they started playing some softball tournaments. Because of their great play, they won an “A” bid to the ASA Nationals in Indiana, taking fourth place in their first “A” Nationals despite having only two players who had played in a national tournament before. They were led by pitcher (Chops) Chiappetta and First-Team All- American Jeff Berger at shortstop. Fresh from their success at the “A” Nationals, the Rockers looked to challenge themselves to be as good as teams like the Blues, Jinx, and Touch, so they started playing in the toughest leagues around Chicago, including Forest Park, Bensenville, and Mt. Prospect. In 1993 they won the Suburban Life Tournament. That year they played in the No Gloves Nationals, the Hawthorne Tournament, the Grant Park Tournament, and in the ASA Nationals. They appeared in the ASA Major and “A” Nationals from 1987 to 1999. They also played in the short-lived Sports Channel Television League. As many teams climb the ranks of competitive softball, they often abandon the players they started with in favor of stronger players from other teams. The Rockers believed in an opposite formula - stick with younger players. This strategy paid off because they were able to develop their talent. It often failed, however, when some of the top teams would recruit these younger players. For a number of years, the Rockers seemed to be a farm team for some of the top teams. Their strategy of sticking with younger players and playing in the toughest leagues began to pay off as the Rockers started to hold their own with the era’s top teams, the Whips, Sports Station, Bud North, Dollhouse, Primetime, Splinters, and Bucks. In the late-90s, they went head-to-head with Lettuce and were able to hold their own against this legendary team. In 1998 they won the No Glove Nationals, beating Lettuce in the semi-finals and Pugliese in the finals. That year they were led by short center and Forest Park MVP, Greg Ziegler. Ziegler also played with the Rockers the longest and formed a bond with the Rockers’ manager that will last a lifetime. Many fine young players wore the Red & Black of the Rockers. It was said that manager Lane Neimann had the biggest phone book in the game. With a great sponsor like Joe Rizza Ford, the Rockers were always well stocked with players and looked sharp on the field. Joe Rizza continued his sponsorship during the entire time the Rockers played softball. His only requirement was that they looked good. And they did.

Pete Rocco / Inducted 2005 1950-1963 Era

Pete Rocco

Pete Rocco began his 34 year softball career in eighth grade playing on a local team at a school they nicknamed “The Island” around Roosevelt and Austin. He continued playing for local teams all through Austin High School where he also played baseball. He played for Triners Lounge in Cicero and Stickney in 1952 through 1954, winning every league they were in and making the All Star team two years. He then switched to Comfy Tap during the 1955 and 1956 season before he was drafted into the army. Upon his discharge from the army, Pete Rocco teamed up with Hall of Fame member Moose Camillo. They played mainly at Chicago and Kedzie but also ventured into competition at Clarendon, Kelly, and Bellwood Parks. While playing at Chicago and Kedzie, Pete is the only player to hit the CTA building in dead center field with a homerun ball. Pete stayed with Moose Camillo until the team disbanded in 1967. He was part of the famous 1963 game that pitted Camillo against an “All Star” Bobcat team in Melrose Park. Besides Camillo, other Hall of Famers Kenny Green, Johnny Abatacolla, and Jimmy Nallen battled the Bobcats. Pete Rocco played second base and had a couple hits to help Camillo beat the Bobcats. Fans and players estimate that the pot for that game was between $20, 000 and $25, 000. After the breakup of Moose Camillo’s team, Pete played with St. Anthony’s Savings and Loan (later The Cabin) at Berwyn, Cicero, and Lawndale Park from 1967 to 1972. They won their leagues every year, including a big victory at DesPlaines in 1971. Pete then played with Sportsman’s Lounge and Governors Lanes before hooking up with Tony Velacek to form the Sobies, (which later became American Rivet), playing at Clarendon and Kelly Parks. Pete then played with the Steamers in an industrial league, ending his 34 year softball career when his sons started playing sports and he became a spectator. Although he was primarily a third baseman, Pete played nearly all positions except pitcher, finishing his career playing left field. He was a prolific hitter who normally hit in the middle of the lineup. He contributed over 800 homeruns and 4, 000 plus RBIs to the run totals of his teams. For his efforts, he was selected to All Star Teams at leagues in Chicago and Kedzie, Cicero, Berwyn, and Summit. He and his wife, Jennie, live in Lombard, Illinois. Pete is a retired member of Local 731 and works part-time as bus driver for Willowbrook High School. They have two sons, Peter III and Dan, and eight grandchildren.

Christopher William Rocco / Inducted 2012 1950-1963 Era

Christopher William Rocco

Chris Rocco grew up in Chicago, on "The Island"(Austin Boulevard and Roosevelt Road), and was an active player during the Golden Age of Chicago Softball, having begun playing as a youngster in the West side Key Clark school yard with neighborhood boys and his younger brother, Peter Rocco, Jr. (HOF). Chris's career began in the 1940s, playing on at least a half- dozen championship teams, notably Murphy Motors, which won the American championship at Grant Park in 1948 and 1949. Logging in about 300 home runs and batting in over 700 runs in his career, he played in challenging West side leagues, winning many championships, including the 1979 Governor's Lanes team which won the Clyde Park Senior title, featuring the oldest players ever to win that honor, with some players near fifty years of age. In 1952, while working for the Pullman Company in the Merchandise Mart he played on that winning team which took the league's title. Five years later in 1957 the Sportsman team, with four future Hall of Famers, won the Garfield Park Senior title. In 1959, Song Lounge, with Chris and younger brother, Peter, together with a total of seven future Hall of Famers, won the Senior Softball League title at Garfield Park. Chris also played for Raytheon, a team that included Tony Reibel (HOF), when both worked at the Merchandise Mart. Chris later played for Comfy Tap. In 1972 Chris was on the Governor's Lanes championship team, which took the Clyde Park Senior title. Chris played second and third base in leagues in Cicero, Oak Park, Chicago Park District, La Fayette Park, Chicago and Kedzie league. Before his retirement from softball in 1979, Chris played in these locations: Chicago Park District - early 1950s; Comfy Tap, mid-1950s, Chicago & Kedzie League; Moose Camillo's team after 1956 until early 1960s; Oak Park League - late 1960s; Governor's Lanes - late 1970s; Cicero League - early years and 1970s. At the time of his death, December 1997, Chris was with the Cicero Police Department. His parents, Peter and Della Rocco predeceased him. He is survived by his siblings, Christine Rocco, Peter and his wife, Jennie Rocco; Angela Rocco DeCarlo, and her husband Dan DeCarlo. Christine and Jennie have since passed away. He has five nephews: Peter and Dan Rocco, Mark, Michael and Dan De Carlo. They continue the family tradition of being avid baseball players. Peter spoke for himself and Chris when he stated, "We played for the love of the game. "Softball and baseball are sports players can continue to play for most of their lives if they wish". They are demanding but ultimately uplifting sport.

Cecil Roderick

Cecil and Diane Roderick own Buck’s Pit Stop and M&R Wrecking. Besides being long-term owners of these businesses, they are also long-term supporters of sixteen-inch softball through their sponsorship of hundreds of teams over a twenty-year period. These sponsorships have included police and fire teams, recreational and industrial teams, girls and women’s team, “A” league teams, and major teams like Buck’s, Jynx, and the 45s. These teams have played at leagues in Westchester, Hodgkins, Pleasantdale, LaGrange, Lyons, and Mt. Prospect. Buck sponsored teams have dozens of league championships, six Forest Park No Glove Nationals titles, and five ASA Nationals titles. In addition to sponsoring teams, Buck has helped in other ways. In 1998 the Rodericks funded and built additional parking at the Hodgkin’s Park District ball fields to alleviate parking problems at its two fields. When the concession stands closed at the 2000 ASA Nationals in Joliet, Buck and Diane went purchased over one hundred hamburgers and cheeseburgers, cokes, and fries from McDonalds so that his players could eat before their games. He has never asked for a penny in return for these actions. Ask any member of the teams that Buck and Diane have sponsored and you will surely hear comments expressing their love for this charitable couple. Throughout their long association with softball, they have always been class acts. Their actions truly exemplify the spirit of the Mayor Daley Award.

Team Rolling Dice / Honored 2012 Team Recognition

Team Rolling Dice

It was approximately the summer of 1973 when Louis "Butch" Whiters and Richard "Bro" Mason were sitting on a porch near 58th and Ada discussing how the neighborhood kids had nothing constructive to do because there were no health centers of recreational facilities available. So they decided to help the neighborhood kids by forming softball teams that would compete against each other. Later they would play teams from other blocks. This simple idea grew became so successful that they joined leagues at Sherman and Ogden Parks. At first they lost a lot of games because they weren't used to the high level of competition. Rather than give up (and as the oldest siblings in their families), they followed the pattern that all successful teams follow - they recruited better players from the neighborhood. Success followed and Rolling Dice built a strong team bond and family-like atmosphere. The next step was to find sponsorships. Most teams head to the local tavern or lounge and convince the owner to pick up the tab for uniforms and registration fees. But the members of Rolling Dice were too young to get a lounge sponsorship, so they had parties and raffles with team members and family friends at banquet halls to raise money. They also received a sponsorship from Alderman Shirley Coleman as an honorarium for their participation in the local backto- school parade. With uniforms and tournaments fees paid for, they developed into a team to be reckoned with. They weren't always successful but always gave the opposing team a tough fight. After ten years of playing, Louis Whiters stepped away to devote more time to his family and job, so Richard Mason took over a continued the strong legacy they had started together. In 1981 Rolling Dice competed in seven leagues and played every day. That year they won championships at 75th and Jeffrey, at Dawes Park, and at Washington Park. In 1993 they won the Blue Island league by defeating the Villains and the Washington Park league by defeating the Alpha Giants. In 2000 and 2001 they took second at Washington Park. In 2004 they won the titles at Blue Island and Washington Park. That same year they came in second in the Black Nationals in Wisconsin. In 2006 and 2007 they were cochampions at Blue Island and were co-champions at Rainey Park in 2006. In 2009 they were co-champions of the Fall League at Garfield Park. Throughout their history, Rolling Dice has played at many parks throughout Chicago and the suburbs. And they always played with that never-say-die attitude ingrained in them from the very beginning of the team by Lois Whites and Richard Mason.

Harry “Swede” Roos / Inducted 1996 Pioneers 1887-1949

Harry “Swede” Roos

The first team he played for was the House of David. He was so young he couldn't grow a beard to look like his teammates. The big 6'7 first baseman was an excellent power hitter for Ryans, American Gear, Magic Chef, and Harry's Owl Club. He was on Leo Fischer's Herald American Allstar squads in the 30s. He was an all-around athlete as a semi-pro football player and an early NBA player for the Ft. Wayne Zollners. Eventually he played on the first Lakers basketball team with George Mikan. He coached the first pro basketball team in Portland, Oregon, the Portland Indians. Since 1954, Portland taverns and churches have had organized leagues playing 16" ball thanks to a keg of beer bet by Harry. 1913-1979, Survived by his wife Lola, 4 sons, and 5 grandchildren.

Team Rose-N-Crown / Honored 2000 Team Recognition

Team Rose-N-Crown

Anthony “Anno” Ross / Inducted 2006 Pioneers 1887-1949

Anthony “Anno” Ross

According to fellow members of the Pioneer era, Anthony Ross was one of the best left fielders who ever played the game. He had two abilities that gave him one of the deadliest arms of his era, he would spin in the air as he made the catch so he was ready to throw when he landed, and he had long arms that generated a lot of power. These two factors surprised a lot of base runners looking to stretch a single into a double or score on a long fly ball. A graduate of Hirsch High School and a resident of the Grand Crossing area of Chicago, Anthony's long arms also made him an excellent line drive "place" hitter. He usually batted third or forth in the lineup and could be counted on to drive in runs when needed. From the late 30s to the early 50s (with timeout to fight in World War II where he was stationed in Iceland), he played for some of the top teams of his time, including Mel Turner's, Bondi's, Ace Steel, Nudo's, Slo Freighters, Brown's, and Chicago Merchants. His love of the game showed as he played Monday through Friday, on Sundays in tournaments, and in money games at some of the great stadiums and against some of the great teams and players of his time. He will always be remembered as one of the great ambassadors of the game. He was in the restaurant business for much of his adult life as a partner in the Ranch House at 123rd and Halsted and in Jonathan Livingston Seafood in Naperville. After retirement, he became the head of maintenance for Brookwood Towers, a condominium complex in suburban Wooddale. Anthony Ross passed away on February 28th, 2001. He leaves behind his wife, Geraldine, and two children, Jim.

John Ben Rossi / Inducted 2007 1964-1979 Era

John Ben Rossi

John Rossi’s voyage to playing major softball in Chicago took a few detours along the way. After graduating from Mendel Catholic High School in 1955 (where he played football), he attended and played football for Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, Citrus Junior College in Azusa, California, and Adams State in Alamosa, Colorado. He was then drafted into the Army and was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington where he played baseball for the fort team. After the army it was back to Chicago where he started playing softball. During his twenty-five year career, John Rossi played with some of the top teams and top players of his era: the South side Loafers with Les Messinger (HOF) as manager and with Jake and Willie Schmidt and Fred Woolfe (all Hall of Famers) as teammates and with Beetle Bomb and Ron Braash on the North side (HOF) with Hall of Fame teammates Wally Mader, Tony Reibel, and Zeke Crement. He competed at Clarendon Park with Beetle Bomb, at Kelly Park and Summit Park with the Loafers, at Kosciusko Park with the Loafers and Beetle Bomb and in the legendary Daddy O Daily League with the Loafers. He also played in parks all over Chicago for the Chicago Fire Department. Of all the great moments John had while playing softball, he most remembers beating the Bobcats at Trumbull Park in the late ‘50s and beating the Chicago Police Department at Thillen’s Stadium while he was playing with the Chicago Fire Department team. He is a retired bricklayer of forty-four years with Local 21 and a retired firefighter of thirtythree years with Local 2. He and his wife, Debbie, live in Homewood, Illinois. They have twin girls, Francesa and Michelina.

Paul Rowan / Inducted 2005 Media & Organizers

Paul Rowan

Paul Rowan began his twenty-seven plus year softball-organizing career in 1978 when he formed the Dukes to play in a six-team league that he also started. The Dukes and the league stayed together for four years. From 1978 to 1982 he played for and managed a few neighborhood teams before the desire to play more competitive softball drove him to form the Ringers in 1982, a team formed with players from four neighborhood teams. The Ringers were well known, not only for their intense softball play but their entertainment and camaraderie off the field at many games and tournaments. Unfortunately an injury in 1987 forced him from playing the game for two years, but he still managed the team. From 1982 to 1988 the Ringers took second place (1982) in the Kelly Park “B” Division, won the titles at Graver Park (‘83), at the Bill Bonnett Tournament (‘87), and at Beverly (‘87); they were champions at the Oak Lawn Metro League (‘83) and the Calumet Park Metro (‘86); won the championship at Kennedy Park twice (‘82 and ‘86), and won the Ridge Park title four times from (‘82,’83, ‘86, and ‘87). In 1985 they captured the Coors Light “B” Tournament in Blue Island (1985) and were Chicago Park District champions. After making the ASA Nationals in 1983, they took 10th place in 1985 at Marshalltown, Iowa, a tournament highlighted by the perfect game that their pitcher recorded against the Stickmen. The next year they placed 26th in the ASA Nationals at Mt. Prospect. In 1985 Rowan organized the Best of Western 16” Tournament with ten teams playing in its inaugural tournament. The next year it expanded to include a men’s and women’s division. Since its inception, the tournament has continued to grow (with eighteen men’s and fifteen women’s teams) and attracts top male and female players from around the area. It’s not unusual to see Hall of Fame players hooking up with neighborhood players to compete in the tournament. Paul Rowan’s commitment to the neighborhood player can be seen when he presents two honorary trophies at the end of the tournament- the Scott Hurley Memorial MVP Award, given in honor of a neighborhood player who drowned while saving a girl’s life, and the Blainey Butler Memorial Championship Trophy, given in honor of a neighborhood player killed in a snowmobile accident a few years ago. He considers this presentation to be the highlight of the tournament. Besides the Best of Western Tournament, Paul has also organized the All Mixed Up softball team and This Is It in 1990 and 1995. All Mixed Up won the 1990 Sun Times Windy City Classic Recreational title and This Is It took 10th place at the ASA “A” Nationals. In 2002 and 2003 he organzized a softball team for boys and girls in the South Side Catholic Parish League and in 2004 he put together a team of local younger and older players to compete in several local tournaments. Paul Rowan’s goal in the very near future is to organize a women’s city championship series and to create a men’s twenty-five and under tourney in order to get the young players interested in the game. Paul is a Vice-President/Division Manager for Trainor Glass Company. He and his wife of twenty-three years, Joan Each Rowan, reside in Evergreen Park with their two sons and future 16” softball players, Zeke and Luke.

Mike Royko / Inducted 2001 Media & Organizers

Mike Royko

It is a great source of pride to many older softball players that the quintessential Chicago newspaper man, Mike Royko, who grew up playing 16” on the streets and playgrounds of the city’s north side, loved 16” softball. His love of the game and it’s traditions was so deep that when he wrote of it in one of his columns, you could almost hear the “thwock!” of a well hit Clincher, and see the dust drifting across a Grant Park infield. Like tavern culture and ward politics, softball was in Royko’s blood, and it showed in his writing. Like every other devotee to the sport, Royko cherished it as a welcome release from the pressures of work and life. In his writings, Royko conveyed, as only he could, both the greatness and the goofiness of the sport and the people who played it. The columns were small gems, and would have been a great read in some obscure newsletter. The fact that Royko’s take on “Chicago’s Game” was being eagerly read by anywhere from one to several million people was the icing on the cake. One evening in 1977, Royko stopped by Kelly Park to watch aging Sobees’ outfielder Eddie “The Champ” Surma play. In the resulting column, Royko marveled at the skill and longevity of Surma, who was then in his mid forties and still playing outfield at the top levels of softball. Royko also used the occasion to ridicule modern day professional baseball players who didn’t possess half the heart and drive that men like Surma regularly brought to an amateur sport, simply out of their passion for the game. Another time Royko wrote of his law suit against the Chicago Park District for allowing the use of gloves in it’s Grant Park 16” league. Royko won that suit, in part due to help from an old west side ward boss and ex-16” player who testified on Royko’s behalf. The man, Bernie Neistein, is quoted as saying, “Gloves? The only time anybody on our team ever wore any kind of gloves was when they didn’t want to leave fingerprints.” Another column stemmed from an invitation by the Chicago Metro ASA to throw out the first pitch at a Men’s Major National tournament in Harvey. Royko turned them down flat, and spent 800 withering words, ripping into the organization for allowing players, in his words, to wear “those things” on their hands. Quoting Slats Grobnik, Royko asked, “what’s next? Players wearing bras?.” In what was perhaps the greatest column ever written about softball, Royko described the game in which he broke his ankle in the first inning and played the entire game on it. He didn’t even know he’d broken it until the next day. “Hit a double too,” he bragged, like a thousand other dusty athletes had done before him. Royko also managed and pitched for the Chicago Daily News, and later, the Sun Times teams. He was instrumental in getting the Chicago 16” World Series tournament televised on WTTW, channel 11, in the 1970’s. During that broadcast, Royko’s announcing colleague in the booth that day introduced a player coming up to bat by saying, “In real life, he’s a fireman.” Royko hesitated a second, then replied scornfully, “Buddy, this IS real life.” A true Chicagoan, Royko wasn’t above stretching the rules when it came to securing players. There’s a photo of the Daily News’ 1974 championship team in F. Richard Ciccone’s recent book on Royko. A crowd of players in Daily News uniforms are standing around Billy Goat Tavern owner Sam Sianis, who’s holding a large trophy, and Royko, who’s grinning like a kid on the first day of summer vacation. And there in the front row, one holding a copy of Windy City Softball, and the other a poster advertising the Chicago World Series of Softball, are noted Chicago newspapermen Mike Tallo and Tom Bonen. Can you say “ringers”? Welcome to our Hall of Fame, Mike. We’re honored to have you with us.

Dave “Rulie” Ruehl / Inducted 2014 1993-Current

Dave “Rulie” Ruehl

In his twenty-five years playing sixteen-inch softball, Dave Ruehl played with some of the top teams
of his time, including the Meister Brau Taggers, Whips, Lettuce, Red Dog, and Licorice. As a shortstop, Dave was selected as an All-Time Team shortstop in the Mt. Prospect League. He was the 1990 Forest Park No Glove Nationals MVP and was named the 1992 Sun Times Player of the Year.
He was selected to the ASA Major
Nationals All-American 1st Team in
1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, and 1998.
He was a 2nd Team selection in 1987, 1994, and 1997.
He was a member of eight ASA Major National championship teams: Whips (1988 and 1990), Lettuce (1992, 1993, 1996, and 1998), and Licorice (2000 and 2002). Additionally, he played for two USSSA National

championship teams: Whips in 1988 and Lettuce in 1994. He played on six Forest Park No Glove Nationals championship teams – 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997, and 2002.
Dave and his wife, Val, live on Chicago’s Northwest Side. They have three children – Sammy, Alyssa, and Justin. Dave played college basketball at Northeastern Illinois University and is a Chicago Police Officer. Dave found his love for softball when he was ten years old and his father would take him to the local games and tournaments.
Dave would like to give special thanks to Richard Melman, who was not only the best manager he ever played for but someone who mentored him on and off the field to become the player and person he is today.

Auggie Ruff / Inducted 1998 Pioneers 1887-1949

Auggie Ruff

Imagine a time before television and video recorders, cellular telephones, videotaped replays, and widespread radio coverage of sporting events. Now add to that mix the popularity of local boxing matches, basketball games, and the emergence of 16-inch softball as a spectator sport that sometimes drew more fans than the Chicago Cubs. The task for the sportswriters of those eras was to recreate the color and action of these games for their readers. Of those writers, Auggie Ruff emerged as one of the top writers of all time. Born on August 31, 1906, Ruff graduated from Mt. Carmel High School in 1923. He played high school basketball, football, and baseball and played basketball in the semi-pro industrial leagues. Auggie's strength, however, was# found in writing about these events. Auggie was a sportswriter and editor for the Daily Calumet, a paper at the time that can be compared to the Daily Herald of today. Readers remember Auggie's great narrative talent that captured the excitement and drama of the classic softball matches of the time. Auggie covered such great teams as the Brown Bombers, the Gas House Gang, Lapota Steelers, Midland Motors and countless others. He also covered the many "pot games" between such teams as the Baltimore Lumber and Lombardi Kids. When Auggie retired after many years with the Daily Calumet, the great writer Leo Fisher emceed the gala that included the top sportswriters of the time. 16-inch softball owes a tip of the bat to Auggie's many contributions to the game. Auggie is 93 years old and lives in Chicago.

Alderwoman “Ginger” Rugai

In 1989, Virginia Rugai was diagnosed with breast cancer. In the following months, friends and neighbors provided an incredible network of support for Rugai and her family as she waged a difficult battle with this horrible disease. Like so many other survivors, Ginger had an ongoing desire to continue the fight beyond her personal health, and offer assistance to other women facing breast cancer. Five years after her initial diagnosis, Kathy O'Shea, a longtime softball player and friend of then Alderman Ginger Rugai, suggested a women's softball tournament to benefit the Y-Me Breast Cancer Organization. Starting small with an eight team morning tournament, the tournament has blossomed into a widely recognized event, attracting over 1500 players and generating over half a million dollars for breast cancer charities. This emotional day is filled with laughter, memories, and even some tears as a community celebrates the strength of so many survivors and the legacy of lost mothers, sisters, and friends. Recently, the American Cancer Society announced the first official Y-Me research fellowship at the University of Chicago. This grant enables physicians to setup a lab and test new ideas that may hold future answers. The results will be reviewed by the most brilliant cancer minds in Illinois. The Y-Me tournament is held on the last Saturday of August. Any who have not attended are encouraged to do so. This is an incredibly moving day highlighted by a Survivors Game highlighting the length of time each player has survived breast cancer. Also, like any good softball tournament, a great party follows the games. This is truly a day to remember lost love ones, to support those brave women currently struggling, and to offer hope to future generations that someday breast cancer will be cured. Mayor Daley appointed Ginger Rugai to fill the vacancy of the 19th Ward Alderman in December of 1990. Alderman Rugai was elected for her first term in February 1991 and was subsequently reelected in 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. Alderman Rugai is Chairman of the City Council's Committee on Energy, Environmental Protection and Public Utilities. She also serves as a member of Committees on Finance; Police & Fire; Budget and Government Operations; Committees, Rules and Ethics; Economic, Capital and Technology Development; Historical Landmark Preservation; and Transportation and Public Way. Ginger Rugai is Past President of the Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization, member of Little Company of Mary Hospital Foundation Board, Mercy Home for Boys and Girls Leader Council, Irish Fellowship Club of Chicago, and Historic Chicago Bungalow Founder and Honorary Association Board of Directors. She was appointed to Mayor Daley's Task Force on Women's Health and a Commissioner of the Cook County Commission on Women's Issues. Alderman Ginger Rugai began her career as an English teacher at Queen of Peace High School with a Bachelor of Science degree from Loyola University. Before becoming Alderman, she served as Assistant to the Director of the Beverly Area Planning Association, a member of the Illinois Senate Staff and Administrative Aide to State Senator Jeremiah Joyce. Alderman Rugai continued her education, earning degrees from Loyola University Chicago - Master of Arts: Urban Life, Learning in 2001 and from St. Xavier University - Doctor of Public Service, Honoris Causa in 2010. During her thirty five years of community service, Ginger has received many awards including Mt. Greenwood Civic Association "2002 Women of the Year"; Irish American Alliance "Woman of the Year"; St. Joseph Seminary, Archdiocese of Chicago "Rerum Novarum Award"; Mother McAuley High School "Catherine McAuley Leadership Award"; Morgan Park United Methodist "Community Service Award"; Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization President's Medal; Beverly Art Center "True Believer Award" and Illinois State Crime Commission "Award of Excellence". She is married to Ado Rugai, attorney at law. They have three children, Michael, Robert, and Karen.

Bob Russ, Sr. / Inducted 2010 1964-1979 Era

Bob Russ, Sr.

Bob Russ, Sr. started his softball career on the North side of Chicago at Hermosa, Mozart, and Blackhawk Parks with the Trolls and DE Rogues. He attended Lane Tech for two years and then transferred to Kelvyn Park. He was elected captain of the Kelvyn Park baseball team for the final two years and was selected to Chicago's All-City Baseball Team. He also played basketball and football at Kelvyn Park. Bob was drafted in the Army where he spent two years with the 4th Infantry Division. He returned form Vietnam with the rank of SPEC 5. He started playing serious softball when he joined the Olympics, a team playing at Kosciusko and Clarendon parks. He was then asked to play with the Lyons 54s, a powerhouse team in those days, featuring such great players as John Straley, Jim Fuller, Louie Zielinski, and Greg Burzynski, all Hall of Fame inductees. He also played with the Gaffers at Kosciusko. Bob was considered one of the toughest outs in softball. He did what all good hitters do - he got on base. He hit hard, spinning line drives at the feet of infielders, making them difficult to pick-up. He hit the gaps hard and when the outfielders came in to catch the dump hit, the ball would jump off to the side, allowing him to take an extra base with his good speed. He was a tough singles and doubles hitter with a lifetime batting average over .600. In the 1970s, he joined the Rogues. They played at Clarendon and Kelly parks in Chicago and James Park in Evanston. Many softball experts think the Evanston League was one of the toughest ever with the Bobcats, Sobies, Dwarfs, Murder's Row, Rogues and others competing. They beat the Bobcats for the championship on a triple-play in the last inning when Lou Zielinsky made a great play in short center, flipped the ball to Bobby Russ who then threw to Vito Maggerise (HOF) to complete the triple play. The crowd of one thousand spectators went crazy. The Rogues won championships throughout the city, including the Andy Frain Tournament and won multiple titles at Amundsen and Kosciusko parks. The Rogues featured Hall of Fame inductees, Vito Maggerise, Bill Massuci, Mike Mareno, Bob Garippo, Lou Zielinki, and Mike Tallo. Bob was MVP two times in the '70s with the Rogues before moving to Otto's in the '80s. Bob played second base and catcher for Otto's. He was surrounded with great players on the team, again all Hall of Fame inductees: Mike Tallo, Rich Urbanski, Bill Massuci, Jim Krause, Paul Brezinski, and Tim Decker. In the '80s Bob also played with the Pirates of Broadview and also with the Stooges, led by Pat Caputo (HOF) and Michael and Jimmy Spidale of the Stooges. He finished his playing days with the Bally team and a work team in the suburbs. Bob went on to manage and coach some great teams in the '90s through the new millennium, including Primetime, Lettuce, Licorice, Sage, Maxim, Flash, and Jinx, five-time national champions. Bob lives in Carol Stream with his wife, Terry. He has three sons, Bobby Jr., Randy, and Mark and two stepsons, Brian and Keith. They have eight grandchildren and a chocolate lab named Toby.